Overview

• The leaders opened the talks with a one-on-one meeting at Elmendorf-Richardson, their first face-to-face since the invasion began, followed by extended sessions with senior aides.
• Diplomatic teams are deliberating a ceasefire proposal that would link an immediate halt in hostilities to Russia’s formal acknowledgment of its occupied gains and mutual security guarantees.
• Volodymyr Zelenskiy remains excluded and has accused Vladimir Putin of bluffing and refused any deal ceding Ukrainian territory, underscoring Kyiv’s demand to participate.
• European capitals have warned that sidelining Ukraine risks undermining allied unity, and Anchorage saw protests expressing solidarity with Kyiv and opposition to any agreement without its consent.
• Putin’s visit—his first on Western soil since February 2022 despite an ICC arrest warrant—and temporary sanction waivers for his delegation have highlighted the summit’s symbolic and political stakes.